On Thursday, April 25, the Long Beach Post hosted an event to honor young people from around the city who are doing great things to better their community and beyond. Out of hundreds of nominations from our readers, judges chose 40 winners who run the gamut from educators to artists to business owners to community activists, all of whom represent just a selection of those who are today contributing to the betterment of Long Beach.

Baktaash is largely a city advocate—meaning he advocates for making Long Beach more accessible, more green, more pedestrian and bike friendly, and overall more beautiful. This passion extends into his professional life, where his work for City Fabrick has helped the organization create do-it-together projects like the popular Park(d) Plaza and a series of walking routes that encourage Long Beach citizens to not just explore their neighborhoods, but learn how to make them better.